


Catching Up

by ravisayscutecute (aiupenn)



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23293399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aiupenn/pseuds/ravisayscutecute
Summary: Hongbin has remained single most of his life, too desperately in love with his best friend, Hakyeon, to even consider someone else. The sudden appearance of poorly written "love letters" won't change that. Probably.
Relationships: Cha Hakyeon | N/Lee Hongbin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35
Collections: Intoxicating 1.5 - Bingo





	Catching Up

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh~ I didn't get nearly as much done for this event as I had hoped to. I bit off... quite a bit more than I could chew in terms of events, but it's alright. I've learned my lesson. orz In any case, I'm so happy to be able to participate in some capacity! This event is a complete joy to be a part of~ 
> 
> This was written to fill this prompt: "Hongbin keeps finding notes in his locker/desk And he decides to talk it out with his best friend but he doesn't know his secret admirer is closer to him than he thinks." I hope whichever prompter likes it! And everyone else too, please enjoy. ❤️

Love notes were not a thing that someone like Hongbin got. It was such an odd occurrence that Hongbin was kinda stuck staring at his desk blankly, not entirely certain if he should even touch the thing. He supposed he should? Put it somewhere for safekeeping? 

“What’s up? Cat got your tongue, ‘bin?” Hakyeon asked after he’d been staring for just a little too long. He was sat at his desk, a little behind Hongbin, with the letter out of view.

Hongbin wasn’t sure how to answer. He picked up the paper and flipped it over, hoping to find a name, but had no such luck. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Hakyeon asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder before coming to Hongbin’s side. 

“It’s just a note,” Hongbin said, stuffing the paper into his textbook so he’d promptly forget about it.

Hakyeon lifted an eyebrow. “A note with a heart on it. So it’s a love note?”

“If you want to call it that.” Personally, Hongbin didn’t find a note saying ‘Hongbin + me = perfect couple’ with an inordinate amount of sickly sweet doodles around the edges were a ‘love note’, but… Well, there wasn’t really anything better to call it. 

“What’re you going to do with it?” Hakyeon asked.

Hongbin shrugged. “I’ll probably toss it later.”

“You can’t just throw away that type of thing!”

Taken aback by the earnestness in his voice, Hongbin narrowed his eyes. Why did Hakyeon care what he did with some random note? “You know I’d tell them ‘no’ even if they asked me.” Hongbin’s reputation as the college’s resident bachelor was well known, to the point that he hadn’t even been flirted with the entire year by anyone who had so much as a passing acquaintance to him. Everyone knew better than to try their luck with. After all, he was infamous for rejecting any offers made to him. Because the one person he’d say ‘yes’ to would never ask and Hongbin would never tell. 

“Perhaps someone has just one last desperate hope?” Hakyeon said, “It'd be straight out of a romance novel.” He plucked the paper out of Hongbin’s textbook and smiled at the cheesiness of it. “Some poor soul must’ve just transferred and missed the memo.”

Hongbin took the paper back. Hakyeon sighed and leaned on the desk, giving him one of his patented scolding looks. “Just don’t throw it away, okay?”

A long sigh dragged itself up out of Hongbin’s chest. It was maybe a little rude to throw it away, but it wasn’t as if the secret admirer was likely to know. After a moment, he caved. It was Hakyeon asking, after all, and Hongbin couldn’t say ‘no’ to him. “Whatever.”

“At some point, you may actually want to date someone, y’know," Hakyeon pointed out.

Hongbin hoped his flinch was brief enough that Hakyeon would dismiss it. “Maybe, but right now I’m just not interested.”

Hakyeon nodded. “I know, I know. And I shouldn’t judge. That cute girl with the curls in the kinesiology class asked me out that other day and I just wasn’t feeling it.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Hongbin said, his interest piqued despite the fact he should’ve given up hope long ago.

“Haven’t I?” Hakyeon honestly sounded mystified, which likely meant he’d told Hyuk and forgotten. “The last three people who’ve asked have gotten a ‘no’ from me.”

Hongbin’s heart was a traitor to all logic as his mind instantly went to the least likely possibility. “Why? Normally you’re so eager to give someone the chance.”

Hakyeon shrugged non-committedly. “Just not feeling it.”

There was a sliver of a lie in there somewhere, but not one Hongbin was in the mood to pursue right now. He shoved it away for later when he’d gathered some more evidence, maybe.

“We still up for lunch, or do you have to meet with that professor again?” Hakyeon asked, motioning to the door.

It was an obvious change in subject, but Hakyeon let it slide, half glad to be moving to a non-romantic subject. “We’re good.”

“I’m buying,” Hakyeon said with a slight grin. He turned on his heel, dismissing any rebuttal before he’d said it.

“That’s not nec—“

“ _ I’m _ buying!” Hakyeon repeated and Hongbin never could argue with him for long.

* * *

To be blunt, the very idea of a second note had been so implausible in Hongbin’s mind that he hadn’t even considered that it would happen, or where it would show up. Unfortunately, it appeared taped to his dorm door after a night out with Wonshik, Hyuk, and Jaehwan, right where they could tease him about it.

He barely had time to register the thought before his prophecy came true. “Oh? Hongbin, have you got a girl you haven’t told us about?” Jaehwan nudged his friend.

Hongbin scowled, disliking the implication in more ways than one. He tore the note down, ears burning despite the fact it could still hardly be called a romantic note. It merely read ‘I love you, Hongbin’ in needlessly complicated letters. And, again, far too many doodles.

“You two get in a fight?” Jaehwan asked, knowing the answer full well.

Hongbin sighed. “I haven’t got a girl. Someone just doesn’t know when to give up, I guess.”

“You don’t look too bothered,” Hyuk said. He gently poked at Hongbin’s cheek. “Could someone have finally got our bachelor to fall?”

Hongbin batted Hyuk’s hand away. “I’m not blushing, it’s cold outside, you moron.” With that, he squeezed inside into his dorm room before anyone could follow him in.

“Good night!” Hyuk said, too familiar with Hongbin to take his brusqueness as an insult.

“You have fun?” Hakyeon said. He gave Hongbin a smile as he reached up and stretched.

Hongbin looked away as he walked to his bed, knowing full well how handsome Hakyeon looked doing even the most pedestrian of things. Unfortunately, he still imagined how Hakyeon’s shirt would likely ride up and reveal a tempting part of his stomach while he stretched.

“Yeah,” Hongbin said flatly, “You get some work done?”

“Some…” Hakyeon sounded mildly disappointed at his lack of progress, “I’ll be up a while longer.”

“That’s fine. I was gonna game anyway.” Almost absent-mindedly, Hongbin tossed the note into the trash as he passed it. He flopped onto his bed and plugged his phone in.

“Seriously‽” 

Hongbin looked up at Hakyeon’s sudden protest. He was fishing the note out of the trash, lovingly smoothing out the creases.

“I thought I told you not to throw these things away,” Hakyeon said. He sent Hongbin a withering glare that only served to confuse him further.

Hongbin sat back on his bed. “You can stick it on my desk if you really want to,” he said, “But why on Earth do you even care? It’s not as if they can be terribly serious anyway with how silly they are.”

“It’s  _ rude _ ,” Hakyeon said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Can’t you think how badly that person’s feelings might be hurt.”

“They’ll never know,” Hongbin said.

This seemed to give Hakyeon at least a little pause, but he kept that determined look on his face. “They might, though.”

Hongbin just about told him ‘you’re the one who would’, but then his heart leaped so high in his throat that he couldn’t even speak. 

For his own sanity, Hongbin chased the thought away and mumbled something about keeping the damn thing before booting up his laptop.

* * *

“My secret admirer is in my ballet class,” Hongbin said, waving the note in Hakyeon’s direction.

Hakyeon turned in his chair, abandoning the schoolwork on his desk. “How do you figure that?”

Hongbin handed the note to him, although he almost didn’t want to. It was so embarrassingly cliche and saccharine sweet he half didn’t want to admit it was in his possession. 

Hakyeon let out a laugh before reading the note out loud. “ _ Roses are red, violets are blue. This poem’s cliche, but so is how much I love you. Or something like that. Is this long enough? _ ” Hakyeon’s voice went up in disbelief at the last line and he burst into a genuine fit of laughter before Hongbin could get a word in edgewise. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Hakyeon recovered slowly. “I asked a question and didn’t let you answer. How does this imply they’re in your ballet class?”

Hongbin was smiling, mostly because, like everything about Hakyeon, he loved his laugh. “I brought in my bag with me. Wasn’t there when I changed, but it was when I went to put everything away.”

Hakyeon nodded, then read the note again with a shake of his head and an amused smile on his lips. “They sure upped the ante this time, didn’t they.”

Even though Hakyeon hadn’t meant anything by it, Hongbin was a little disturbed that he had hit right on the head what he’d been thinking of. He stared at the far wall, not sure he could trust himself not to blush if he was looking Hakyeon’s way. He’d told exactly one person that the notes weren’t long enough. 

Hakyeon. He’d told Hakyeon.

“Who’s seen these?” Hakyeon said. He stood to sit on Hongbin’s bed instead. His hand brushed Hongbin’s calf and Hongbin very nearly jumped at the sudden contact. 

“You,” Hongbin said, “And Jaehwan, Hyuk, and Wonshik.”

“Wonshik’s in that class with you, right?” 

“It’s not Wonshik,” Hongbin said, although he kept to himself why he knew that, “But there’s no one new in that class either, so they should’ve known to give up by now.”

“Well if it isn’t Wonshik,” Hakyeon leaned back, his hand now going between Hongbin’s legs to prop himself up, “You’re not the social type in a dance class, so perhaps someone just thinks you’re handsome and want to up your spirits? You get that concentrated scowl on your face sometimes in ballet, y’know.”

Hakyeon gave him a smile that was so fond and so unbearably kind that Hongbin almost felt… loved. Hongbin’s breath caught as their closeness hit him full force. He was letting his imagination run wild.

As inconspicuously as he could, Hongbin sat up and took the note from Hakyeon before curling up on one end of the bed, as far as he could get from Hakyeon at the moment. 

“Yeah. That’s probably true. If it was anything other than my looks they’d give me some specifics.” He gave Hakyeon a side-long look.

Hakyeon let out a beautiful chime of laughter. “Like how you wear the same disgusting socks days in a row because ’no one will notice’?”

Hongbin smiled back at him. “No one does!”

“I do!” 

“ _ You _ don’t count,” Hongbin said definitively, “You only notice because you’re stuck with me.” He gestured vaguely at their shared room.

“Yeah,” Hakyeon said, and even without looking at him, Hongbin’s heart squeezed at how soft he sounded all of the sudden. 

There was silence for a moment and Hongbin slowly let their eyes meet as a strange, unfamiliar tension filled the room. Hongbin swallowed dryly, then tried to smile so their eye-contact wouldn’t feel so awkward. “Whoever it is… I’ll probably still say ‘no’.”

“‘Probably’‽” Hakyeon’s face filled with genuine shock. There was a beat, and then he tried to smooth it into something more playful, but it was too late. Hongbin had seen it and he dared to hope. “Who are you and what have you done with our local bachelor?”

Hongbin shrugged. “There’s always been only one person I’d say ‘yes’ to.” He tried to keep his voice light, as unassuming as he could. 

“We’ve lived together for three years and this is the first time I’ve heard you say anything about it! What girl was so lucky to have caught your eye?”

Hongbin winced inwardly, all his hopes dashed in one fell swoop. ‘What  _ girl _ ’. Whatever. He'd been stupid to think he'd had a chance. A little roughly, Hongbin took the note back. “Doesn’t matter. They’re not the one writing these.” 

Hakyeon looked a little hurt like he knew he’d said something wrong but wasn’t sure what it was. Hongbin didn’t know how to comfort him without giving too much away, so instead, he grabbed his still unpacked bag. “I forgot,” he said, “I’ve got a meeting with a tutor. I’ll be back in two hours.”

The door closed behind him before Hakyeon could say anything else, and Hongbin chased away any further despair by blaring music in his ears.

* * *

Hongbin picked up the envelope from his bed, hands shaking. He and Hakyeon always kept their dorm apartment locked, and he was certain Hakyeon hadn’t had the chance to bring anybody by while Hongbin was gone so that meant one thing.

Hakyeon had written the letter.

No name was written on the front, only a childish heart surrounded by lace, but its recipient was obvious. Letters didn’t just appear in the middle of someone’s pillow if they weren't for them.

Hongbin opened the letter with as much delicacy as he could, which was shockingly little with how much he wanted to see what was inside. It was a small little note like all the other ones had been, but there were a pair of socks stuffed inside the envelope with tiny little cupids on them.

> Seriously, please change your socks.
> 
> And surprise! I’m your secret admirer. I don’t really know if you would’ve guessed that already. You know how bad I am with secrets…   
>  I’m sure you’ll not like how I’ve confessed in such a roundabout way, but I needed to work up my courage. It was unfair to you, though, so I’m sorry.
> 
> Anyway, you don’t need to respond right away, or even not at all if you’d rather. We can forget I ever wrote these notes if you want because I don’t want to lose what I have. But no matter what happens, I want to tell you: I’m in love with you, Hongbin.
> 
> \- Cha Hakyeon 

Hongbin read the letter twice, his mind reeling, and all the while he could barely breathe. This couldn’t be happening. It  _ couldn’t _ be. 

As if on cue, a key turned in the door and Hakyeon entered. Their eyes met and Hakyeon looked almost surprised to see Hongbin there as if he’d expected him to run away. After less than a second, Hakyeon looked away. He sat his backpack on his desk chair, giving a nervous chuckle at who knows what. “How were classes?” he asked.

Hongbin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, a bubble of anger forming in his chest. Hakyeon was seriously trying to brush past this? Like it was no big deal?

“What is this?” Hongbin asked, keeping his voice surprisingly even. 

Hakyeon didn’t have to turn to look and see what Hongbin was asking about. He picked at some fraying fabric on his bag.

“It—it’s a love letter,” he said quietly. He sent a nervous glance in Hongbin’s direction out of the corner of his eye.

A strange sound came from Hongbin’s throat, half a scoff and half a sob. “Did Wonshik tell you?” he said, voice shaking.

“Tell me what?” Hakyeon asked. He finally turned to face Hongbin, putting on a good show of looking confused.

Hongbin was trembling. Fear and disappointment coursed through his veins, and as much as he wanted to stop it, he could feel himself half panicking. “You took this too far.” Hongbin through the letter in the trash.

Hakyeon looked distressed, but he didn’t make a move to take the letter back. “Took what to far?” 

He stepped closer to Hongbin, but that pushed Hongbin into motion. He brushed past Hakyeon to collect his phone and keys, if only if he could remember where they were in his panic-addled brain. “I don’t know how you thought this would be funny, but it’s not.”

“‘Funny’?”

Instead of his keys, Hongbin found the stupid notes he’d saved. He tore them in half in one fell swoop before throwing them into the trash with the letter. 

By that point, he was beyond caring if he could get back into the dorm. He’d stay the night with Jaehwan or something. He just needed to get  _ out _ . 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Hakyeon jumped to intercept Hongbin’s path to the door. “ _ What _ is going through your head‽” 

“Hakyeon, please move,” Hongbin begged. 

“I don’t find any of this funny and clearly you don’t either, so what are you talking about?”

“Why else would you write me those notes‽” Hongbin’s voice went higher as he motioned desperately to the trash. The dots weren’t connecting because there’s no way Hakyeon had meant any of it. He couldn't allow himself to hope after all this time.

“Because I’m in love with you.”

“ _ Don’t _ .”

Hakyeon takes a deep breath and looks like he’s gonna say something more before Hongbin cuts him off again.

“Hakyeon. you’ve  _ never _ dated anyone but women before. Sorry I’m having a hard time believing that  _ I _ , of all people, would be the one exception.”

“Hongbin, you should know how hard it is to find other men to date unless you’re actively looking for them,” Hakyeon said, and that was enough to make the world shift underneath Hongbin’s feet. “Just cause I haven’t had a boyfriend lately doesn’t make me straight. And besides, I’m pretty sure you  _ would  _ be my exception if I was.”

Hongbin stared at a random spot on the ground, mind reeling. Did that mean Hakyeon  _ was  _ serious? He wasn’t sure he knew how to react to that possibility any better than if he’d been playing around.

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” Hakyeon said, his voice so unbelievably soft, but Hongbin saw the disappointment in his eyes. “I know you’re not into dating and I would never want to force you into something. I just thought it was only fair for you to know.”

Hongbin shook his head numbly at nothing in particular.  _ Hakyeon  _ meant _ it.  _ Hongbin’s hand went to his chest, quietly encouraging himself to breathe, as the revelation hit him full force.

“We don’t have to date or anything, so please try not to worry about it.” 

Hongbin was still struggling to form words. What could he even say? How did he admit feelings he’d been trying so hard to hide and push down for so long?

“With that out of the way.” Hakyeon’s weight shifted to a different foot, betraying his nerves. “Can I just ask you one question?”

Hongbin looked up at him finally, eyes wide. ‘Anything’ was what he wanted to say, but his tongue wouldn’t form the words.

“You said yesterday that there was one person you would say ‘yes’ to. Who… who is it?”

Hongbin licked his lips. “It was you.” The answer was more of a croak, and even quieter than a whisper.

“Who?” Hakyeon asked.

He was holding his breath, Hongbin could tell, like he  _ had  _ heard Hongbin, but was in just as much disbelief as Hongbin had been. 

Not allowing himself time to think, Hongbin closed the tiny distance between them, cradling Hakyeon’s cheek with his hand as he brought their lips together.

Hundreds of times Hongbin had guessed at what Hakyeon would taste like, and it was satisfying to learn that he’d been pretty spot on. Hakyeon tasted like coffee and that cherry chapstick he obsessively applied. Hongbin melted and Hakyeon compensated for the loss of stability his partner had by wrapping an arm around his waist, pulling him closer.

Their lips parted long enough for Hongbin to gasp delightedly at the contact before Hakyeon once again stole away his ability to breathe. Hongbin stroked Hakyeon’s cheek with his thumb, excited to memorize the curves of them in the days to come. 

And even though he knew there would be more kisses, and more time to get to know each other’s mouths, Hongbin still found himself disappointed when they finally had to part.

The two of them gasped for breath as their foreheads naturally rested against each other. Hakyeon smiled and a giggle of joy bubbled out of his chest. Hongbin beamed back, despite himself, as Hakyeon traced his lips with his finger.

“That tickles,” Hongbin protested weakly.

In response, Hakyeon pecked Hongbin on the lips to wipe the feeling away. 

Hongbin sighed in content, not sure he would’ve been able to describe the joy he was feeling even if someone had asked. 

Hakyeon’s smile faltered for a moment. “How… how long?”

“What do you mean?” Hongbin asked, hoping he hadn’t already screwed this up somehow.

“How long have you had a crush on me?”

Hongbin blushed deeply. “Long enough.”

“Please don’t tell me that’s why you’ve been telling everyone ‘no’ for the last three years.”

Hongbin’s lack of an answer was certainly enough of one and Hakyeon shook his head. “I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up.”

**Author's Note:**

> I, uh,,,, think I have a very specific trope I like for these two and it's: Hongbin thinking he's unlovable, lashing out mildly from this, only to have Hakyeon reassure him that no he absolutely loves him, and they kiss complete with forehead touching. Both of my chabin fics end like this,,,,, orz Ah well. 
> 
> If you have anything to say, please consider leaving comments! They never fail to make my day.


End file.
